I left the push rods out to ensure valves sealing and tried a redneck version of leak down test. Air constantly came out of the intake and engine breather port as I cranked the engine a couple strokes. Nothing out exhaust.(I did not have intake or exhaust on). No air was noticed coming out of the crankshaft seals. I only pushed 12.5psi through as I was scared to damage anything but I have seen vids of guys pushing 100psi on full sized atvs. Does my test tell us anything?? For whatever reason, it does feel like its is more difficult to rotate the crankcase now compared to before. I did install the helicoil in the spark plug hole and confirmed no leaks when doing the above test.
You can't hone this cylinder. I only cleaned the nikasil lined cylinder with the green scratch pads and oil and then soap and water, then fresh coat of oil
I would assume if engine was flooding, I would have noticed fuel in the engine during disassembly, correct? I did not, only gas in the carb.

 

Ok, I got the engine put back together, and set it next to the atv and connected carb throttle valve, gas tank and intake manifold to air cleaner. pushed 75psi through the spark plug hole and no leaks at TDC, I cranked the engine slowly a couple times and still no leaks. What do we know from this test?
What next steps would you recommend?
I did NOT lap the valves yet.
I think I am going to rent a different compression check tool.
Thank you for all the help so far, is nice knowing I am not going at this alone. This is my first 4stroke (as if you couldn't tell) I have worked on to this extent.
FYI, I did throw the new starter on but hadn't hooked up the battery yet, so readings are from manual recoil. Could be the issue as well.

 

You can't grind the valves in once you have reassembled the engine. Regarding compression, I had a non running 450 Honda in this week, seemed to spin over a bit fast on the starter so, when checking for a spark (which it had) I put my thumb over the plug hole and cranked. Not enough compression to blow my thumb off. So checked with the compression tester, 20psi. Turned out to be the exhaust valve was a mile out, about 1/3 of a turn before I got any clearance. Tried the thumb test again and got enough to blow my thumb off. Once the carb was cleaned out as well, the engine runs fine. It is difficult to get a decent compression reading with a pull start, get the battery hooked up, in fact when you first re-assemble an engine compression isn't always good, until it has been spun over, or preferably run, for a while.

 

I understand, but I kind of want to make each change one at a time so I know what fixed although I am getting desperate.
I got the new starter hooked up and come to find it actually spins the wrong direction so bindex never catches flywheel. I have to actually wire the red "positive" from the starter to the ground and the negative from the battery to the body of the starter(I think that's what I did lol) Still only get 30-40psi. Rented a different compression tester and same numbers.
I then grinded the valves with a fine grit which appeared to come out pretty well in my inexperienced opinion. Modified the valve clearance within service limits again .07mm for intake and .12mm exhaust.
Made no difference after testing again. This is getting frustrating. I am like 120 below psi. Something major is off.
Again i am doing comp test without exhaust on.

 

Never had the head off an LTZ but on all other Suzuki Quads you can't re-use the head gasket, so it seems a weird idea to keep putting the head back on and taking it off again. Unless it is a brand new starter of the wrong type, or has been assembled up wrongly, there is no way it is going to revolve the wrong way. So either the battery has been charged backwards or you are getting something mixed up. If battery has been charged backwards it should have blown the main fuse, as this gives a dead short through the voltage regulator until the regulator burns out or the fuse blows.

 

It is a metallic head gasket and looks brand new if examined. That isn't the issue. The leakdown test also backs this holding pressure at 75psi. Same number of comp psi from the first time it was on until now.
battery is not charged backwards , this has been confirmed with a multimeter.
I suppose it's time I sell it or take it in which either, I really don't want to do.
Any more thoughts or ideas?
Thank you merryman for your advice and direction.

 

Okay, trying to follow you here.

So you had an air leak out the intake, but now you don't?

You don't hear or see, (by soaping) any air leaks around the cylinder or head

You still do not have compressions?

With air pressure hooked up and valves adjusted properly, as you roll the engine over it should leak air through the intake, then stop, then through the exhaust and stop. It doesn't have to be 75 psi. 10 psi should be enough to notice and hear the change as valves open and close.
If it is not doing that, then your intake and exhaust valves are not opening. Like bad/flat camshaft or bad chain or whatever drives it.

If it is opening and closing valves, what about camshaft timing? If it is off too far the valves will be open during the compression stroke of the piston giving low readings.

These things will drive you nuts won't they.

 

When I didn't have the intake manifold and air cleaner assembly on during my first leak down test, air would come out the intake and obviously loose pressure. After installing the intake, and breather tube hose, I pumped it up to 75psi and didn't loose any air. Hopefully that makes sense. I am questioning the logic as I type this but fairly confident that is what took place.
no leaks near head or crank shaft seals. I used soapy water.
with the starter, I can get about 50psi compression.
I will do the air pressure test you described next.
It is very frustrating, and maybe this is an issue, when adjusting the valves. I spent about 2 hrs total just this morning. I get exhaust in service limits, then crank engine, then exhaust will be out of service limit, redo clearance over and over and get it within limits, then move to intake and then it falls out of clearance service limits. I jump back and forth between the intake and exhaust but it seems very very sensitive. Attached is a couple vids with clearance as good as i can get it.
I was also looking into camshaft timing being a potential issue but the service manual does not dive into this. Any additional checks for this would be appreciated. I did mention above that "The CAMSHAFT ASSEMBLY is difficult to hold in place before I can get the generator case on. I was able to Align the hole of the camshaft with the matching mark on the cam drive gear but the springs make the camshaft assembly want to pop off the drive gear." I have to put an allen wrench in the camshaft the keep it aligned when trying to install the cover. This seems off but maybe thats just how it is. But in the manual there is a picture of the camshaft gear sitting in the drive gear unattended,
.

 

Yeah, that doesn't sound quite right. So when you put the intake on you still had an intake valve leak?, and most likely the butterfly in the carb is what is holding the pressure for you now.

Another thing, are you holding the throttle open when you do a compression test?

The constantly changing valve lash sounds like the camshaft is moving around and changing timing, or maybe it is just coincidence that it is working out that way.

Either way I would go back to make sure the intake is not leaking air. While holding the throttle open.

Can you see the timing chain anywhere? So you could mark it with fingernail polish and somehow verify it is not skipping every couple of revolutions? Kind of sounds like that engine is a real pain to work on.

We end up going in so many directions at once it can be hard to keep track of what we did vs. what we think we did.

 

tried 25psi, I hear not hissing. Tried 50psi into the spark plug whole and still no hissing when slowly pulling the recoil a couple times with and without the throttle wide open.
So I believe you have identified the issue, correct? As you previously said "it should leak air through the intake, then stop, then through the exhaust and stop."
"then your intake and exhaust valves are not opening. Like bad/flat camshaft or bad chain or whatever drives it"
But as I think about it, the videos I uploaded clearly shows the valves being pushed open, but the path for the air(in this test) to travel from the combustion chamber to the valve seat ports is blocked??
Hopefully we are getting closer.